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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. vault — a safe
  4. swing — in golf
  5. spell — magic
  6. swing — to play on
  7. lie — to recline
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. mate — a partner
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — letters
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. mark — a grade
  16. field — farmland
  17. field — a subject
  18. wind — moving air
  19. field — for sport
  20. mark — a trace
  21. wind — moving air
  22. swing — music
  23. mate — a friend
  24. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com